What Are The Attributes That Make A Good Home Inspection Report?

Just what makes a GOOD HOME INSPECTION REPORT?

Ask 20 people and you may get that may different responses, sad part is ask as many Home Inspectors are you are likely to get differing answers as well!  Home Inspectors, above all, should know the right answer to this question.  Problem is the root lies in inconsistent, and improper training or education - if any.  Far too many Home Inspectors lack the necessary education to provide the proper reporting to their clients.

But just what makes a good report?

Home Inspection reports are not created equally, partly due to the individuals who create them.  This is understood, but regardless there is some key detail that must be included in every report.

No Inspector knows this better than one who has ever done Commercial property inspection!  

Now some of this may be the software they use, however several years of experience has shown me that any software I have seen can be used to provide a reasonably consistent reporting level that communicates well.  Yes communicates, is not that the purpose of the report?

Now some use checklists for reporting, others say they should never be used.  Checklists to allow the inspector to determine if all important items have been inspected or if something has been overlooked for sure.  But in my personal opinion a checklist by itself is sorely lacking in important and critical information.  However a checklist could be implemented with a narrative and perhaps serve quite well.

Remember the report needs to communicate the information to individuals accurately regardless of their background, education of building science knowledge.

Secondly one should never refer to items as problems in any report, while something may well be a problem to one buyer it may not be to another.  It should be written or reported on in a similar manner as a health report you may get visiting a family doctor.  Factual, unbiased, complete and accurate.  Not embellished and not missing detail.  

Check boxes may serve well in some information, however narratives work far better in conveying the real nature of the item in question and the level of concern or how serious the issue may be.

So what are the key components in a good report?  Remember the client is likely using this as a decision item in a real estate purchasing decision.  It is critical that the Home Inspector is experienced, knowledgeable about the related issues which are encountered, and who is entirely professional during every phase of the process.

This of course also comes back to training, many good inspectors have contractor background of some kind.  In Canada at least Contracts are specialized, and limited to single trades (gas, electrical, plumbing, etc)  No single contractor can do it all.  This is good and bad, from a contractor perspective it makes a far better individual with far greater level of knowledge being a specialist.  When that person becomes a Home Inspector however, I know of no cases where they did not require additional education to gain that level of knowledge needed to be a Great Home Inspector.  I personally had electrical background, and can assure you that there was a serious lack of knowledge in plumbing, HVAC, etc.  

But once that Inspector has gained the knowledge, there is also training necessary in defect recognition and reporting, as contractors are typically not trained in either of these areas.

Back to the report, any Home Inspection Report must provide the client value and at the very least provide a good representation of the condition of the property. If a Home Inspection Report does not provide that, then the report is worthless regardless of price.

Among other things, a Good Home Inspection Report should:

• Be well presented and organized - this should be easy as many of the software programs do a fairly good job to make this easy.  
• Be expertly written and easy to be understood by anybody.  Reports should not include language which is difficult to understand and should be clear and concise.  
• Be able to communicate clearly the details necessary to all involved in the transaction including not only the client but also Real Estate agents, attorneys or mortgage lenders.
• Contain photographs and images where they help in explanation of the items being discussed.  Not an excessive number, but enough to clarify the discussion points.  
• Contain proper English grammar, correct spelling and proper sentence structure.  Yes I said all that!  If a Home Inspector is not able to provide that then maybe they need to get some additional education. 
• Be clear and easy to understand and accurate.  Some Home Inspectors shy away from real reporting.  If it is a problem address it, do not place additional emphasis or be an alarmist, on the other hand do not misrepresent a problem.  Your job is to provide accurate, unbiased information, it is not to scare the client nor to gloss over a real problem.  
• Have a good well presented Summary Section.  Some reports lack this, but I feel is so important.  Some Inspectors feel this means that the client will not read the whole report, possibly so, but many will eventually go back and read.  Make sure the important items are in the Summary, written well and provide the critical information that really matters.  

Remember there are only really a few things that matter in a Home Inspection, make sure the client can focus on these and not get lost in the unimportant items.

Important items are:

1. major defects, such as a structural failure;
2. conditions that can lead to major defects, such as a roof leak;
3. issues that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or insure the home if not rectified immediately; and
4. safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electrical panel.

Personally I use Carson Dunlop Horizon reporting software, no it is not the least expensive out there by far.  In fact it is likely one of the more costly.  But, having used several over the years this one for me does rise to the top for several reasons.